#I didn't include everyone while talking about my reasons for placement

[limi-strology]

Astro observations II

Decided to make a part 2, didn't expect the first one to get more than, like, 50 notes 😅

Based on just my personal experience, might not be true for everyone! ᵔᴗᵔ

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┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ Contrary to the stereotypes, I don't think I've ever met a two faced Gemini. They honestly seem pretty cool people, they have so many friends and they just know how to communicate, you know? Their relationship with their partner looks really wholesome to outsiders too (but could be just me viewing it this way, lol). If anything, I think they just stand out more, which makes it a bit more difficult to approach them. 🤷‍♀️

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ Gemini sun girls also have something aesthetic about them, like my cousin has a nice academia aesthetic going on in her life and a classmate from uni has this high-end fashion sense, she looks really pretty everytime (For some reason, when I think of Geminis, I'm envisioning luxury parties with champagne and brands like YSL and Louis Vuitton, that's the vibe I get) ✨

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ People with Sagittarius in their big three (sun, moon, rising) are some of the most outgoing people I know. They have so many connections and, once their schedule allows it, they start planning coffee dates, hangouts with their friends, clubbing etc. A friend of mine can literally NOT stay at home the entire day, he just HAS to go out or meet up with people for at least 2-3 hours. 🏙️

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ To the fellas with Moon opposition Neptune; How do you guys deal with moments in life that don't live up to your expectations? You know, when your imagination goes wild and has a very idealistic scenario of a certain situation, only for it to happen in a much different way and lowkey dissapoints you? Also, do you have dreams that kind of warn you or prepare you for something that will take place in the future? Because I feel like we kind of build our own world and the universe has to remind us that life isn't always perfect, lol 💭

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ My dear Aquarians, why the pessimism? Rather than overthinking everything and imagining the worst scenarios possible, how about you try focusing more on positive things? Even if it's just something small each time, it helps you view your daily life in a better light :)

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ Speaking of Aquas, I've noticed that most of you guys also don't really like being alone for too long. Sure, you want to have your me time (it's fine, we all do) but you also can't stand not having company around. Like, you'll randomly decide to stay in and spend some time alone but then you'll get upset and start calling your friends and family. A friend of mine cannot stand being alone for too long, even if we spend the whole day together, he hates being home on his own, to the point where he sometimes straight up takes the bus back to his hometown. It's wonderful that you enjoy spending so much time with others (I could never, lolll) but try picking up a hobby when you don't have the chance to be around people as much. It'll kind of distract you from loneliness and give you the chance to have some quality time with yourself 🧩

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Thank you for reading, hope you have a wonderful day 💙

Edit: Bonus Observations

So a lot of you guys commented that Aquarius actually prefers solitude and could easily pass time all by themselves, so I looked into the charts of the social Aquas I know irl and see what it is that makes them so outgoing and talkative;

(I didn't include houses because I haven't gotten to confirm their birth times)

• My friend has Saturn in Gemini, which can make people talkative in any situation (I also have this placement and, although I see myself as an introverted homebody, I am surprisingly pretty chatty and enjoy going out with people that make me happy). Truly, he always gives something to talk about with everyone he knows, sometimes he'll start a conversation with another friend of his while I'm standing there not knowing what to say or do in the meantime, like 🧍‍♀️?

• He also has Mars in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Leo; energetic, lively and outgoing, thrives when surrounded by people. He almost never gets tired of hanging out with people, my low social battery could never 😅

• Other than her sun, my mom also has Aquarius in her Mercury, which makes her friendly and likeable, plus she enjoys conversing with people.

• Another thing about my mom, her placements are a bit contradictory; She has Sun in Aquarius, Moon in Virgo, and Uranus and Pluto in Libra - These indicate shyness, independence and introversion. Truly, she prefers doing things on her own most of the time and doesn't open up to just anyone. She also used to be very shy around my age (probably because of Virgo moon?). However, she also has Jupiter and Neptune in Sagittarius, which make her more adventurous, outgoing, charming and humorous. So that would probably explain this whole 'outgoing yet independent yet still can't be lonely' vibe she gives me.

Hope this explains a bit better why I had this image of Aquas at first, thanks for sharing your thoughts in the comments!

[amarumpersici]

My issues with Princess Peach's personality in the Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Not everyone will like this rant, I’m aware of it. I promise that I’ll accept any criticism of my writing, as long as it’s reasonable and in good faith and that I’ll respect your opinion, regardless if we agree or not. Before commenting, please, read it throughout it all or if you’re lazy, go directly to the TL;DR section.

Last month, like most of us, I saw the long awaited Mario Movie: it was generally a really enjoyable experience which made me smile during pretty much its entire length, from its reference and its lighthearted humor. If I have the chance, I wouldn’t mind rewatching it.

It had some flaws, many of which are generally recognized and I agree with: I wished that the movie would be a bit longer and I felt it was too childish for my tastes, as in general Mario games are enjoyable to all ages. Today, however, I want to focus on the aspect of the movie I generally found to be the weakest: Princess Peach’s personality.

There has been a lot of discourse in merit, some of which I contributed to with a previous rant I published in my other blog before the movie released, which luckily partially aged bad. I’m sorry if I sound angry or overly harsh: Princess Peach is a character I deeply connect with since I was a child and I’m not lying that her portrayal in the movie worried me ever since the first trailer she appeared, so it’s also kind of personal.

If you like Princess Peach in this movie, you're fine! But I also ask you to respect my positions as well.

Please don’t label me immediately as a misogynist who hates to see women have larger roles in movies (I mean, I’m a woman myself) or as a snobbish cinema critic who expected to see Citizen Kane from the Mario Movie. I’m just a huge Nintendo fan who loves the franchise but also likes good writing.

Before starting to write, this rant WON'T be:

A political commentary, so don't expect me to talk about culture war or whatever debate is occupying USA’s society at the moment (I'm not even American). So I won’t complain about how the Leftists or the Republicans ruined a children’s movie. I’ll also refuse to use terms like “problematic”, “girlboss”, “woke” or any words which are fashionable right now.

A judgment about Anya Taylor-Joy's performance, as I didn't watch the movie in English.

What I attempt to do, instead, is to judge Princess Peach’s character based on the writing and how well it adapts with her games’ counterpart.

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The criteria in which I’ll base myself

For my judgment of the Princess’ portrayal in this movie, I also need to make an important distinction, to clarify my point: the one between Role and Personality.

In brief, the Role is the placement that one character has in the story, its social placement, how it affects the plot (e.g. Protagonist, Antihero, Damsel in Distress, Princess). In general, while analyzing a piece of media it’s useful to recognize a role in a metatextual way, an abstract way to see the character’s dynamic.

Personality  is the combination of the psychological qualities that form an individual's distinctive character. On a broader side, this includes how the character’s interests or how they view the other characters along with them and the actions that would be made, based on their tendencies, hopes or fears. (e.g. optimistic, greedy, stylish, likes baseball or dislikes soda)

Sometimes both parameters influence each other but there are many others they do not, depending on the author’s writing styles, the plot or the development of those specific stories.

From these two theoretical traits, I’d like to add a third one, partially disconnected from these two: adaptation.An adaptation is a re-development of a piece of media, whether a book, a movie or a videogame into another. They usually base on the original plot but many others would rather use some elements to make another story, like it happened with the Mario Movie. Usually a good adaptation, regardless if it uses the original plot or not, either keeps the original’s feeling and morals or it coherently expands it. Here’s why this cinematic adaptation of the Mario games, as flawed as it is, is already regarded more fondly than the 1993’s movie.

With my criterias now made clear, let's start this rant.

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The positives

Of course, I like the role the writers got her in the movie: while I don’t mind her classic damsel in distress role, seeing Peach in a position in which she could constantly help Mario put a huge smile on my face. She constantly encourages him and her people as well, like an actual ruler would do and she would even sacrifice herself to save even one of her subjects. Her combative side was somewhat accurate to the Princess Peach from the games and her dynamic with Mario was rather interesting. Her not being kidnapped and being more experienced than the plumber also makes quite sense, since the movie is an origin story to the parable of Mario. I even say that switching Luigi and her role was actually a clever choice, since it gives a much stronger motivation for Mario to explore the Mushroom Kingdom and a reason for them to bond.. Many argue that this version of Peach was too perfect: I can see their point but at the same time I think that while the writers overblown her combat capability, Peach still needed some help to succeed, whether from Mario or the Kongs. She had some flaws, even though they only affected her relationship with the plumber that could easily be explored in the sequels. Not everything it’s perfect with this writing choice, mostly regarding the management of her role with her personality, but I’ll explain myself better in the next section.

Her backstory and fascination with humans could have potential as well, if we take the context of the movie as a separate universe from the games: it gave this Peach a sort of flavor that differentiates her from other similar characters in recent animated movies. Throughout the projection, there were a few moments in which her caring side from the games somewhat emerged, such in the scene in which she advises Mario to be more cautious against Donkey Kong or when she saved Toad multiple times, most notably by surrendering from Bowser. Unlike what the trailer made many of us believe, Princess Peach could have been managed way worse, but still this doesn't imply that I liked her personality, with which I still have a load of issues with.

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My criticisms Even though she could have been even dirtier, I still don’t like Peach’s personality in the movie, sorry. Let’s not confuse (negative) potential with the actual result: an idea, as good or bad as it sounds, it’s often not good enough to make a final product worthy of praise or loath. It also needs a deliberate narrative choice to make it shine. For these reasons tropes and cliches are constantly invoked even by non experts. As I mentioned in the section above, my issue with this version of Peach wasn’t the role she was attempting to do: it was nice to see Princess Peach in action and having a mentor role to Mario but I still feel her arc was managed poorly, which also affected the pacing of a good chunk of the movie. Even the positives I mentioned earlier seem to be afterthoughts put by Illumination, probably under Nintendo’s pressure. Whoever was in charge of the writing seems to have missed the point of what made Princess Peach unique in the first place, some common characteristics present both in the games and in the comics: her sweetness, well integrated with a bubbly side. In the games she seems defenseless, however here also resides her strength: she’s not always ready to combat but she always is to forgiveness and kindness, even to villains. Emotional strength is not always explored in recent narrative but in reality it’s just as important as combat capabilities. Even the times in which she decides to join the adventure she always sees the big picture, contributing to her party with her grace and femininity. Even though she was often kidnapped she wasn’t a complete pushover: even in difficult times, the Princess always tried to do everything she could to escape or to help Mario to find her. Among the main Mario characters, Peach is among the most developed ones, with Luigi, Rosalina and Bowser, especially in the RPGs, because she never fulfills a stereotype, whether being the damsel in distress or the competent warrior. Despite being pure by concept, she’s still a flawed character who pays her kindness and patience with naivety and dizziness. We’ve even seen her prideful and stubborn side from time to time!

In the movie, I barely saw any of these traits, especially in the first half: in general her dialogue, especially with Mario, is left vague, not in a way that felt mysterious but rather lazy. In general, Princess Peach may have had more agency, but at what cost? Compared to the other characters, who kept their loose but iconic characteristics, she didn’t feel like her game self but rather a toned down version of a generic action heroine like many others seen recently. With this I don’t want to imply that there mustn’t be a place for stoic and capable characters, I even love many of them, I just prefer to see new ones rather than an adaptation of a character who already had a developed and different personality. Luckily, she wasn’t as bad as other offenders: she seemed to support and cherish Mario and Toad throughout the movie but at the same time her tough mentoring style felt really forced and out-of-character. She felt really aggressive and condescending, both in her animation or small remarks, as by calling Mario “Mustache” or "unimportant" (this last one was a joke but it was in a rather poor taste) or even by even much bigger scenes, like in the infamous training level scene. She was almost never the center of a joke, even if the movie was filled with gags and it seemed that her role was just to remark how much she was capable of fighting. In general, Peach's character doesn't seem to evolve through the movie (if we leave the really quick moment in which she didn't trust Mario) nor is connected with a solid theme like Mario, Luigi (brotherly love and overcoming one's own fear), Bowser (the effect of an obsessive love) or Donkey Kong (feeling worthy of a parent's approval): even if the movie was not deep, the writers did attempt to attach some moral for the kids, even as trivial as it is, which is unfortunately missing from Peach's arc.

The more I think about her movie writing and more questions I ask myself. Aside from the vague defeating Bowser, does she have an objective which motivates her to do everything she does? Does she really appreciate the Toads’ company or just thinks that she’s superior to them, as it’s evident to her reasoning to bring the one who presented himself to Mario on an adventure? Does she have some other personality traits than being headstrong, smug, supportive and self sacrificing? 

Why does she often recur to action even if there may be a more diplomatic alternative to resolve a problem? For example, let’s talk about Peach’s first encounter with Mario: the situation may not have been the best but I was surprised that she, alone, could lay the plumber on the ground. If I were to write this part instead, I would have debuted the Princess by either being extremely confused and telling the guards to do anything or, alternatively, to tell the guards that she would take care of Mario, ever since he already tried to apologize to her and, later, to calm him down. Turning back to the movie, it’s fair to assume that the castle is pretty big but then, why hire some Toads, if she’s so strong as well as the first to admit that they’re weak creatures and therefore not the greatest option to even protect an eventual treasure she may hide? I may get a lot of hate for this but I also need to criticize the Ice flower scene that many seemed to love: at this point Peach was aware that Bowser liked her, she could have been way more cunning by at least attempting to convince him to not do any harm to his prisoners while Toad himself could have been using the ice flower in case Bowser misbehaved, therefore letting Peach to escape safely to search Mario, to reciprocate the sacrifice that the Princess did for him and let Toad to guide a riot with Bowser’s prisoners against him. In this quick idea, I also gave more purpose to Toad, which is only used in the movie as a way to introduce Mario to the Mushroom Kingdom and to make it even more evident that Peach was awesome, whether telling him or with the facts. I also gave the princess a moment of evident emotional vulnerability.

While I found her fascination with humans rather interesting in the very context of the movie, it still feels an arbitrary choice considering the extended Mario lore: in canon, it's implied that Rosalina is born in the Mushroom Kingdom and had a family there. If we also involve the spinoffs, how Princess Peach didn't know about Sarasaland, which is ruled by Daisy or even Diamond City, where many humans live? Peach’s backstory in general makes sense if you don't think too much about it: when you do, many canon discontinuities emerge, too many to be ignored. And even without caring about the games lore, this plot line goes nowhere: when she’s transported to Brooklyn, she seemingly doesn’t react to how her surroundings changed so drastically, not a single cue, dialogue or even a small animation to express at least awe or confusion. The only thing she does is to support Mario and Luigi and, lastly, to feed Bowser that mushroom which will be the final straw to his demise. 

In short, despite her popularity I don’t like Princess Peach’s personality in the Super Mario Movie at all, since it’s a rather cheap adaptation of the characterization that Nintendo and its affiliates were giving to her during the nearly forty years of her existence to give a characterization that is too similar to other characters in recent cinematic times. Even considering this Peach as her own character, her writing still comes out flat and inconcludent to the movie’s plot line.

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Movie Peach and Comic Peach: a comparison

Speaking about this portrayal of Peach, a lot of people and even Nintendo itself like to mention the Nintendo Power comics that were released in the 90s. I can definitely see where this connection may come from: she is indeed more proactive than in the games. However, she retained a dreamy and dainty side which is evident when she interacts with Mario. She directs her sarcasm and even violence towards Bowser and the Koopalings themselves. As a characteristic that also was brought up in the games, Peach was snarky, with those who annoyed her in the first place. It’s especially evident in the first three Paper Mario that she uses it when she’s fed up with everyone’s misbehaving.

In everything she did, Peach had a strong and personal purpose which it’s absent in the movie: to save Mario and herself and she was not above failing in her plans, as it's evident in the Bowser Marriage scene. Hence this is why I think that, even by Nintendo itself, the comic was just used as an excuse to justify the lazy writing for the Princess, since it was the closest example to what the authors wanted to do with her.

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Conclusions

TL;DR: Princess Peach’s role in the movie could have had a lot of potential and I’m glad to see her helping Mario in a more involved way but I’m disappointed in how the writers butchered her personality from the games just into a mellower version of a common Hollywood trope, especially since the essence of most other characters seemed to have been respected to the most part.

I’m even more disappointed that even Nintendo, after those first concept arts in which Peach retained her personality, could approve of a similar change, even because the others retained their characteristics. I think they tried to overcompensate the widespread (and, to be honest, unjustified) hatred for the Princess with a personality that has little to do with her character, and judging from the general consensus, they succeeded to make her liked. I may have an severe opinion regarding this topic but it’s fine to appreciate this version of Princess Peach, even prefer her to the games' one: everyone likes different kinds of characters and there’s nothing bad about it. 

I ask you to respect my opinion as I accept yours. Mario movie debates have been really exhausting, and I genuinely hope that this rant could lead a constructive dialogue from both sides, which wouldn’t use ad hominem/political party insults or to assume my political affiliation basing on this rant, let’s keep politics out of this rant.

In general, I strongly encourage you to correct me whenever I was wrong or if there's anything you'd like to add to my points!

I hope that you won’t hold a grudge against me and I hope to see you soon!

[dmclemblems]

Some super quick explanations for some of them included!

Love A Lot:

Miklan: for those of you who may new be here/have not seen many of my posts about him: had a lot of headcanons confirmed in Hopes that I held from Houses. he needed someone/people to steer him in the right direction. when he had someone/something to fight for, he was loyal. his behavior growing up and afterward were a result of being given no direction on top of overwhelming jealousy and spite that turned into hate. even if he wasn’t able to entirely forgive his family/the system, he did get over it and find a goal for himself that he really wanted to reach and more or less moved on (see: fuck you, Gwendal).

Rodrigue: see: my rodrigue tag that’s all i can tell u or this will be an essay also i adore him

Sylvain: his writing is WAY better in Hopes than Houses. he has genuine relevance to the plot itself and is extremely important to Faerghus’ army and politics it in all routes. I love him in Houses but in the main story his relevance is honestly abysmal and there are way too many offhand flirtatious comments on a constant basis. he matured, but not even remotely like he did in Hopes. Hopes’ Sylvain is everything I would want and expect from his character (Felix is basically in the same boat).

Love:

Sothis!fused Byleth: more development to her personality at this point and she’s actually very cute! I love her sassy little crossed arms lean thank u. also, I really feel like her and Dimitri (in AM) really worked well together as characters and grew together. seeing them both grow emotionally with each other’s help was really sweet.

Ingrid: much more development for her in general, and her relationships are expanded upon (not just scolding Sylvain, is good friends with Dedue, doesn’t have an utterly crappy friendship with Felix that survives off nothing but childhood friend willpower, actually has conversations with Rodrigue that are both about and not about their shared history and show more than one side of their relationship, etc). much less bland of a character in Hopes.

Gilbert: BOISSSS HAVE U SEEN THIS MAN IN HOPES MY GOD HE IS THE MOST LOVING AND DOTING FATHER THERE DO BE OUT THERE shit man im jealous like my parents didn’t dote on me like that when i was in my early twenties ajkfgsgjs also, he’s actually a well written character with a good past and present in both games. I’ll write up a long post another time probably. I do like him a bit more in Hopes, but I’ve always liked him a lot at the very least in Houses.

Rhea: it was between Like A Lot and Love, and since Seiros!Rhea is below her for reasons explained below, I had to bump up her a bit.

Like A Lot:

Male Byleth: idk why i like female byleth more, maybe bc i just like girls more irl and she’s rly cute when she gets more development like i don’t dislike byleth but u kno there is just somethin else about titty teacher

Serios!Rhea: she’s really cool in the opening cutscene! I like her generally speaking, but I feel like they made her batshit in CF just to excuse making her out to be a villain (kinda like they did in SB’s bad ending for Claude). I like her in Hopes in GW a lot though - it’s just the CF nonsense that makes me like ???. I get Edelgard pushed a lot of buttons, but Rhea has always been about protecting innocent people. setting Fhirdiad on fire is so out of character for her. she’s vicious and violent at times when it comes to people who attacked the Church, harmed innocents, etc, but she never otherwise harms citizens for any reason. what happened in CF just felt like an asspull to make her a villain.

Thales: I like him as a villain, not a person, but Hopes also gave us more insight into him. he’s just an interesting villain to me, really. most of them in this universe are pretty eh to me as villains, which leaves me to base my opinions off who they are/their character, which... most of them are lolz. not even much to go by. Kronya is just some kill obsessed clown lady who was afraid to die in Houses and was just in denial about it in Hopes and that’s... that’s it. Solon just has a grudge against the bloodlines I guess.

Like:

that’s abysskeeper and baron dominic not generic npcs lmao

Claude: it was really between Like and Like Slightly because a good half the game is just normal Claude, and we did get a lot of good background info on him, Almyra and his family relationships (even if indirectly, like when Nader is talking to the Almyran soldier about how Claude is the favorite child). the things about Claude that I didn’t like in this game (especially bad ending SB which is massively just ??? wtf ??? eh wot nani the fucc fuccies mcdoodles ???) I have very strong opinions about, but I think the bullshit parts are outweighed by both normal Claude and a slightly differently characterized Claude who didn’t get to spend a year at school (there are still bits and pieces of that difference in him even in AG, though they’re a lot more subtle and he’s more on the fence about what to do after everything is over in comparison to GW/SB).

Hilda: way more character and actual growth as a person. she grew a little bit in VW, but overall there wasn’t that much change. she didn’t feel like much of a character and it felt like she never had anything useful to say that didn’t involve being lazy and wanting people to do things for her. she’s lost a lot of that behavior and attitude in Hopes and actually has humane dialogue in Hopes.

Mask!Jeritza: just less characterization overall. he’s still funny tho. still funny.

Monica: idk, I feel like she kinda lost of the cool parts of her character with what little bit we did get in the prologue chapters (any route). I still like her and it’s not even about her devotion to Edelgard being a little (read: a lot) overboard, and let’s face it, I’m beyond overjoyed that a ship I shipped long before the existence of Hopes actually sailed and it sailed so hard it’s on the other side of the world now. idk what it is tbh that really makes me prefer her in the early chapters (not counting Kronya!Monica in Houses, who I left out since it wasn’t really Monica).

Shahid: good villain, some background detail, and useful for drama. that’s uh that’s it tho really lol

Like Slightly:

Cornelia: an actually good villain aside from Thales, which is a rarity in this universe. terrible, horrendous, nasty person, but sometimes you need that! she’s/he’s (i.e. not really Cornelia) also actually smart and not so kill happy that she’s just stupid about it. she has a lot of contingency plans and backups, and she managed to convince Faerghus for a good long time that she was still the real Cornelia. it’s rare in this game that we get an actual villain with a brain.

Erwin: lbh Hopes saved his purple ass. he’d be down in dislike-hate otherwise LOL. Hopes really did do a LOT for him though imo regarding characterization. all we really hear about him in Houses makes him sound like a horrendous asshole and makes you wonder what Lorenz even sees in him to respect him. Hopes gave him an actual personality/character and showed us intellect. I think he’s done some pretty crappy things and he’s been shady, but in Hopes his assessment of Claude isn’t really that wrong or far off, so I can’t hold that against him the way I do in Houses. he’s also a very caring and loving father, whereas in Houses I was more under the impression that Lorenz was just his heir and that they didn’t necessarily have much more than a respectful relationship. I feel like in Hopes there’s a lot more to unpack with his character and it did him a lot of good for me. since of course Houses is also the “main” canon and whatnot, I can’t really say I like him all too much, but Hopes definitely gave him a lot more to work with.

Lonato: Good dad vibes, but I think it’s super questionable that he’s willing to fight/kill Ashe out of his desire for revenge for Christophe. What I would’ve hoped they’d have done with Lonato is that like in Radiant Dawn, if two characters were on opposing sides but had a strong relation, they would refuse to fight each other (an example of this is Brom and Meg, who are father and son but won’t fight each other. Even though you have control of Brom, you can’t use him to attack Meg because he just won’t do it). He did so much for Ashe and basically saved his life by taking him off the streets, even despite that he’d be taking in three kids, and yet... he’s now willing to kill this kid he took in just because this kid is enrolled at the school at the monastery headed by the archbishop he hates. Couldn’t really put him higher because of that. They always talk so highly about him in the game, so he seems like a generally good dude but then... I also don’t like he’d kill Ashe for Christophe, and tbh I don’t think he’d do that the other way around and kill Christophe for Ashe fi the situation was reversed.

Matthias: Not a bad character and definitely loyal to Faerghus. Heavily in politics and is a good person to have helping run the country. Rodrigue says he changed after his first wife died so I guess that’s where he got his argumentative and more practical side, though I feel like he tends to be practicality above emotions at all times and definitely doesn’t have a balance for it (to the point where Rodrigue has to be the one to tell him to go to apologize to Sylvain to something he said to him instead of Matthias choosing to do that on his own). Not gonna bother talking about the whole “bad did” stuff because... that’s general knowledge lmao.

Rufus: He’s a semi-good villain, and I’m not sure how I’d feel if he got more time in the game. As for who he is as a person, he’s a pile of trash to be taken out into the dumpster to await the trash trucks. I am putting that lightly.

No Opinion:

Aelfric: A pretty low-tier villain imo. I like the way he planned things out and how he got everything together, but his overall goal and how single minded he was about it was kinda lame.

Anna: Sometimes she has pretty nice things to say, especially regarding the war, but otherwise... she’s just eh in the boring sense.

Kostas: Tbh we don’t really know much about him or why he’s a bandit. We know Ashe used to be a thief because of his situation, so I don’t want to assume Kostas is just scum of the earth based on being a bandit since it seems like he just takes jobs for money. The guy you meet in Abyss who is hiding there and says he has a family waiting for him at home also insisted they didn’t know the real details and all that, so I don’t really... hate Kostas? I more wonder if he wouldn’t turn himself around if given the chance. I don’t like him or dislike him since we don’t really know enough about him personally.

Tomas: I’m assuming the persona Solon had of him was as close to the real thing as he could get if he wasn’t detected all that time, so judging by that I guess I’m like sure why not about him. Not super interesting but a nice dude.

Eh:

Caspar: This version of him is literally totally brainless and he doesn’t do anything except fight and care about fighting. He literally has no morals or care for anything and it’s baffling to go from Houses Caspar (either version) to this Caspar. He’s worse than Raphael in that sense because Raphael at least has times when he’s shown to have other traits, but this version of Caspar just doesn’t feel like Caspar to me.

Hegemon Husk Edelgard: Not enough information. Just a husk! At least the name in and of itself proves a whole lot of my points about her...

Ludwig: He actually cares about the Empire, so... kudos for that. Obviously he wasn’t super terrible to Ferdinand and the Empire at large if Ferdinand grew up idolizing and respecting him. He’s not like Bernadetta who is actively afraid of her father but wouldn’t want him to just straight up die, and is in fact sad in both games about Ludwig dying. He can be pretty shitty and be involved in shitty things so he doesn’t really get a pass from me, but he gets above the hate scale.

Marianne: I get she has the whole issue with her Crest and thinking it’s a curse, but jesus christ if she’s not annoying about it. When people just want to have a conversation and not even really get involved with her she’s too quick to push people away and leave them thinking they did something wrong. Overall I just found her response to a lot of things very annoying. I don’t hate her but I’m too annoyed and bothered by that stuff to say I’m neutral.

Myson: Not enough information on him as a character. He kinda ended up with Sandima (FE4) syndrome where he was a main lackey and not much else. You see him, you get used to him being there, but you don’t know enough.

Randolph: He’s lucky Hopes happened or he’d be one tier lower or worse lol. That whole nonsense conversation he had with Dimitri in AM would’ve kept him a tier or two lower, but he had at least some semblance of a character in Hopes. Putting the two together, I just don’t really like him. Like, yeah, sure, he’s kinda a nice dude... but wanting to distinguish yourself and your house so much that you’d take live on a battlefield and be grateful for the war for that purpose doesn’t sit right with me. Also, being part of the force that initiated the war makes me see it with an even more critical eye. Imo he’s way too deep into wanting to be a distinguished name and it seems like he doesn’t really... have any morality in doing so. As far as Houses goes, YIKERS. He really had the audacity to say he was fighting for his sister and home (as if other people aren’t also doing that???) and so he didn’t want to die. Y i k e r r r r r s. It’s like, when HE’S on the verge of death he wants mercy, but he’ll cut down any number of other human beings to have his name known/have a (political) house and won’t spare their lives just because they have families waiting for them. He’s a hypocrite who’s hyperfocused on his own deeds at war, and the fact that he thought he could spew insults at Dimitri and act like he was A Pure Bean would have kept him on the shit list forever if not for Hopes. He’s one of those people where he’ll do bad shit and keep doing it until what goes around comes around and when it’s finally his turn, he begs for it to not be his turn. At least Dimitri owned his shit in their conversation. Randy here did not, refused to and literally thinks that fighting for his supposed good cause is justification for his actions. Big yikes, yikers, yikees. No want, no like.

Raphael: I just kinda threw everyone in alphabetical order so it’s not that I like him less than Caspar as I brought him up briefly in Caspar’s description. My main issue with him is that also largely lacks morals in this game. Marianne is the one who keeps questioning all the killing, and Raphael doesn’t give half a fuck most of the time. He just wants to fight and they wrote him like he’s too stupid to understand having morals while at war. It doesn’t feel like Raphael to me. He was great in his paralogue, but other than that he was just... devoid of character outside of his overblown traits. It’s like they took Houses Raphael and just stripped away any characterization except for two of his traits and went “ah yes, much better”. He’s still a kind guy, just... kind of a shell of Houses Raphael.

Male Shez: Idk lol he’s just like... more childish and brainless to me than female Shez? For sure I think it’s the delivery in their English lines, but there’s just something about him I’m not really caring for.

Sothis: Lord almighty did I find her annoying. In Hopes I’m super eh about her because she’s kinda... bad/mean/evil/what have you? But just in general in Houses I didn’t really care for her. I didn’t hate her and I definitely don’t think she deserves to disappear or something, but her attitude just typically bugs me.

Dislike:

Arval: He’s just... annoying lol. Annoying, smug and tries to pressure Shez into things that they clearly don’t want to do.

Bernadetta: I hate that she’s played for laughs, but I also hate that characters can’t even speak to her without her screaming something completely unrelated. She has issues because of her dad, sure, but to be afraid of every single stranger and all her classmates to the point where she didn’t even remember what Claude, a house leader, looked like? To the point that nobody can even speak to her because she never listens? Annoying. Literally the most frustrating character I’ve ever seen in any franchise. She’s better in Hopes, but in Houses, especially in at the first half... Y I K E S.

Gwendal: Bad adoptive dad, traitor, also killed Miklan in Hopes. 0/10, I have Yuri kill him in Houses in every time.

Ionius: Him being a seemingly good dad is the only thing that kept him from being any lower tbh.

Leonie: Rude, annoying, and not a personality I’m into. Got better, but like Bernadetta I can’t stand her in the first half of Houses.

Dislike-Hate:

They all suck but I don’t feel burning rage of hatred lol.

Hate:

Fleche: Basically her handling of revenge in AM knocked her to rock bottom for me. Nothing in any other route in either game could save her from that lol. Let’s be clear: Byleth killed Randolph. It doesn’t matter why. It doesn’t matter if it was a mercy kill. At the end of the day Fleche clearly did not know who exactly killed her brother. She just wanted to kill someone for revenge, regardless of whether or not she targeted the right person. Now mind you, not ONLY did she target the wrong person, but she murdered a man totally uninvolved in her revenge. MIND you, she went on about boo hoo revenge for her ONLY LIVING FAMILY BEING KILLED and then murdered a man’s ONLY LIVING FAMILY because she TARGETED THE WRONG PERSON in her revenge. Yes, Dimitri wasn’t all there mentally, but no, he did not kill Randolph. My issue with Fleche is that this told me she wasn’t really in it to get actual revenge on the person who killed her brother (like she did in Hopes in all routes). It’s that she didn’t care WHO she killed or HOW MANY people she killed in her path to revenge. To her it never mattered who died. She’s selfish, apathetic, and doesn’t care about other people outside her own family and their standing in the Empire. She doesn’t care about the truth or who did what. She just wants to murder people. That’s her revenge. She attacked Dimitri and attacked like a literal pos toward him with that sarcastic shit, again, not her brother’s killer, just off the assumption that he did it merely because he was... the leader of the army, I guess. He was going to capture Randolph, and honestly from there someone could have convinced him (someone: Rodrigue) not to torture Randolph because they could have used him as leverage or gotten information or what have you. This isn’t to say Byleth was wrong for killing Randolph - it’s to say Fleche did not give two whole hoot hoots as to who actually killed her brother and just wanted to cause havoc regardless because boohoohoo someone killed your brother AT WAR when you all know what the consequences could be AT WAR during the war your uwu emperor started.

Really need to write a fanfic one day where she gets away and then Felix seeks her ass out and slaughters her and goes “uwu u killed my only living family during war so i wanted revenge uwu and hey at least im killing the right person for it instead of being a lil baby and killing whoever the fuck just bc im uwu mad” because FCKN D A M N Y’ALL THAT WOULD BE THE 👌 CATHARTIC 👌 SHIT I NEED. ...don’t worry he’s not gonna say uwu that’s just the implication of a mocking tone so felix’s mocking is the last thing she hears because he slays her

being a rodrigue fan is hating fleche’s entire being alright xoxo love u roddyrod

Edelgard: we’re not getting into that LMFAO it’s all over my blog anyway if you can find it among my love and affection for other characters

[amaya-chwan]

Therapy Game Restart Discussion: Who is Onodera?

Hello everyone! Hope you are all well~ ❤️💛💜 I've had a headscratcher of an ask/message regarding Onodera, so I figured I'll make it into one big post!

Before I begin this Q&A/discussion post (feel free to comment below if you have any thoughts), I have looked through past chapters to gather the information I will put into this post to support my predictions. Not all chapters are readily available for everyone at the moment as only one volume of TGR is out right now, so I shall put the chapter numbers for your future reference! ⚠️ Also, just a note! These opinions are my personal thoughts, conjectures, and opinions, so please don't think I am saying one idea or speculation is wrong--this is just how I see it, and of course I could very well be wrong! And I also am not fluent in Japanese, so I may have some translation errors!

⚠️ Also, a warning, this will be a long post! Keep reading if you're interested and please let me know your own thoughts!

First, in an earlier ask, I was directed to a translation group that said Onodera is a man. With the help of Google and Google Translate (because I don't understand/speak Spanish), I found that post (dated April this year) and the origin of the picture they used in that post. The image is from Hinohara-sensei's 13th August 2020 tweet here and is also below for reference:

Now, all I can remember from first seeing that image is "Woow, so pretty! A female character? A love rival? A threat? OH it's the infamous director they're all talking about???"

This image was released around the time chapter 8 was released, i.e. the first chapter we see Onodera in full.

Looking at the image again, I can see how Onodera could be seen as a female or a male. Onodera has long hair, yet no visible breasts. There is no evidence of an Adam's apple, but that could just be because of the turtleneck as part of their outfit. Furthermore, in chapter 13, we see a view of Onodera from behind. There are no "womanly curves" visible in this view of Onodera.

After searching some Japanese blogs, some fans also had the same thoughts: no breasts = possible male, the shape of the face etc. Here are the blogs I found: [1] [2] [3] but most of these are from around chapter 8.

Just about the breast argument: there are a lot of different shapes for breasts. I learnt that when working at a department store selling bras during university. It is possible that Onodera is really flat chested or just has very little breast tissue. Not sure if that's getting too technical now, ahah, but what I want to say is that the lack of breasts isn't a definite yes to Onodera being a man.

Hinohara-sensei also has not explicitly stated throughout TGR so far (ch1-13) that Onodera is male or female.

From chapters 8-12, Onodera is always referred to as 院長 (director) by Shizuma and the nurses at the clinic. No gender-specific pronouns have been used in the story nor by any characters to refer to Onodera when speaking so far (that I have read). So confirming Onodera's gender is just misleading at the present moment.

We do find out in chapter 9 that Onodera's first name is 昌 akira. Akira is a gender neutral name in Japan. It is often given to males, but it is not uncommon for females to have this name. Which, I think, is genius on Sensei's part. It leaves us all thinking!

Q: So Amaya-chwan, what do you think Onodera's gender is?

Just for me as I've been reading TGR the past 1.5 years, I see Onodera as a woman as I have been "encouraged" to see Onodera as one by the little subtleties in the story, and Minato sees Onodera as a female, so I probably am viewing Onodera in Minato's POV.

(Please keep reading on for more insights and answers to questions! Really, this post is long! 😅)

In chapter 9, Onodera's older brother, who is also Shizuma's university professor (and his last name is not Onodera), makes small talk with Shizuma regarding the staff at his placement:

Shizuma's professor says: By the way, Shizuma-kun, how've you been!? You haven't been bullied, have you!? // The female team here is scary, right~ You know, Nakajou-kun and I were in the same grade...

So here, I'm made to think Onodera's clinic is pretty much all female, including Onodera too.

Fun fact: His professor uses the suffix -kun for Nakajou-sensei, yet Nakajou-sensei is a female and -kun is commonly used for males these days. But, it is also used for females in very specific situations. I'm not too sure what the situations are, but I have heard them used for females before.

In the same chapter (9), while Shizuma is changing out of his scrubs in the men's locker (?) room, Onodera walks in. He is slightly flustered, and kindly reminds her that she's walked into the men's locker room. Her reaction is "Huh? Ahh..." So here, again, I am made to believe Onodera is female.

While no gender-specific pronouns have been used to address Onodera, Minato and Itsuki have referred to Onodera as a female in chapter 13.

The kanji for "female/woman" is 女. In these two images, Minato refers to Onodera as 上司の女 female superior, and from Minato's story, Itsuki hence calls her 職場の女の人 female from (Shizuma's) workplace. This is the only time Onodera has been referred to as a female.

⚠️ Just a note going forward in this discussion, I will now call Onodera "she/her" as that is what I believe Onodera's gender is at the present moment!

Now, I did get a second ask from an Anon! Here they are below with my responses:

This one is about what's behind Onodera. I think she's a pretty interesting character. I actually think she's a trans woman or a non-binary trans woman. Sensei has been dropping so many hints to that... The name her brother calls her might be her dead name. He complains about her hair and what their father would say. She's designed to have flat breasts, perhaps she's not under hormone therapy, perhaps her "trips" and "days off" have something to do with reassignment surgeries...

She most definitely is an interesting character. I wouldn't say Onodera being transgender is out of the realm of possibility because the story is still ongoing. But regarding her name, I don't know if I'd call it a dead name since it is gender neutral already. Perhaps the kanji for a male Akira name would be different to a female one though?

About the hair comment (ch10), I just thought it was unruly? I honestly didn't think too much of it! What I will add is that the kanji for hair (髪) is used, but the reading is あたま head. Not sure why just yet, so I'll just leave that here as some extra information for the moment.

Not sure what I really think about a) her flat-chestedness and b) her insanely long business trips yet! I figured a) might be a character design, and b) she really is a top-notch veterinarian so she's probably in high demand. But I could be completely off the mark!

Also, I don't know where to add this random bit in from the story, but in chapter 12, we find out that Onodera has been calling one of the staff the wrong name for more than 10 years now. Not sure if this new piece of info affects anything?

But again, that is a very interesting prediction/thought you have about Onodera, and I wouldn't say it's not possible!

She's kind of a female Minato, psychologicallly and in appearance, which brings some challenges. And one more thing that I think hints to that: "I'll make it so your body can never be satisfied by any woman", Minato says to Shizuma. As the last chapter leaves it at that, we don't know exactly what he is talking about. [spoiler?] I haven't seen the Japanese text yet to be sure if he's clear about topping Shizuma.

That was exactly my thought when she was first introduced! That's part of the reason why I think Minato sees her as a threat, especially when he saw her for the first time and was told she is a 美人beautiful person (both in chapter 12). She and Minato definitely share some characteristics, but I find she's a bit more socially-awkward than Minato given her background (Chapter 9 & 10).

For the dialogue, the Japanese lines and the most literal translations I can give are:

今から　静真くんを抱く From now, (I'll) hold/embrace you, Shizuma-kun.

どんな女に出会っても　絶対満足できない体にしてあげる No matter the women you encounter, I will make it so your body definitely cannot be satisfied (by any of them).

Hopefully we'll find out what Minato means by that exactly in the next chapter, which I hope comes to me this week!

But if that's what he's talking about, it's 1. poor Minato being transphobic (besides being biphobic towards his own boyfriend)* 2. poor Minato probably foreshadowing his own fall. If Onodera happens to be a woman with a d**k, she can do whatever Minato thinks a cis man only can do. That's not what will make Shizuma stay by his side. Shizuma will stay by his side because he loves Minato. And that's that. Debunks biphobic myths, debunks transphobic myths. *He's not a bad person, he's got issues

Okay, this is probably as straight-forward as I can say this, but I just want to say that I don't know enough about the issues faced by the LGBTQI+ community. My friends have kindly answered all my questions so far as I don't want to be ignorant or rude when learning more about my friends and the community. I don't want to give off the air that I'm assuming anything since I don't want any misunderstandings. And I am fully aware that I need to educate myself more regarding this!

So about Minato, I'm not completely sure what you mean by number 2. But he definitely has his share of trauma, insecurities, and fears regarding his relationship with Shizuma. Having Onodera as a threat in this story really helps drive Minato's growth. The story is titled Therapy Game Restart, so what I gather from the title is that Minato is going to face another fear/insecurity he has, something deeply-rooted in him, and it's going to get really heavy and complicated, but he will eventually get through it and it will help him heal and grow as a character, and hopefully strengthen his faith in his relationship with Shizuma.

So far, I believe this "fear" is carrying on from +Play More, that Shizuma can be whisked away by a female at any moment.

But yes, Minato has to realise for himself that his and Shizuma's love, relationship, and bond is strong enough for him to not worry about Shizuma leaving him so abruptly. He has to learn to trust in Shizuma more, and TGR is slowly revealing that, especially in chapter 13.

I'll stop here. I have already written long analyses on this series and I think about making them public at some point. But it would be nice to hear from you! Maybe I'm completely wrong in my interpretations! I'm really sorry for being so annoying and maybe using inappropriate language. I really didn't mean to bother you. But I never see anyone making these points. I just want to know if I'm thinking unreasonably...

I love reading different analyses, opinions, story predictions, the whole lot!! So please feel free to ask me or post your own ideas. It's always a welcome thing for me to discuss stories and learn new things! Don't be sorry that you're being a bother or annoying, because it's not a bother at all!

We're all allowed to have our own ideas and opinions about stories, and these ideas will change once something is canon in the story, and ultimately is something we will have to accept too.

So yeah, just my two cents. Thank you for being so patient with my response, dear Anon!

To anyone reading at this point, thank you for reading this far! ❤️💛💜

I shall see you in our next set of takeaways~ As always, stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones! 💜

(2021-05-17: Speedy proofreading is done ahah! And yes, my brain is still so full of 山河令/Word of Honor right now, so I have been VERY distracted! Highly recommend this drama, guys! It's up for free on the official Youku Youtube page! Totally not an endorsement, but I love this drama! AHHHHH!! Gong Jun [Simon] be living on my mind rent free~)

[newmysterygirl]

"You Owe Me"

No Warning

Credit To Gif Creator

Chapter 3 "He Owed Me"

"I need to talk to Clay"

I feel the weirdness in the room, everyone looking at each other. So I ask "What"

Jax "Why don't we go upstairs and talk"

Ivy's grip tightens around my neck "mommy! please no don't leave me"

I look at Jax and say "She isn't really doing good around guys right now" I move Ivy up on my hip when the girl behind the counter says "I can watch her"

I look at her then Jax and Ivy turns her head towards the girl but keeps her head on my shoulder.

I look at Chibs when he says

"We trust her lass"

Then I look at Happy who's standing infront of him a little

Happy "Trust me little girl"

I nod and look at Ivy. Pulling her back a little to look at her face, I wipe her cheeks and say "You said you trust me"

"I do"

"Then I need you to go with" I look at the young lady and she says "Brooke"

I look back at Ivy and say

"I need you to go with Brooke so mommy can start fixing this ok"

She doesn't say anything just stares at my shirt so I look at Brooke and nod. She walks around the counter and I tilt Ivy's chin to look at me "I promise you are safe"

"But what if"

I cut her off by saying

"No. That won't happen" As I kiss her forehead I whisper

"We're safe"

Then I hand Ivy to Brooke and thankfully she goes willing. I sigh of relief before I look at Jax who nods at the guys. I follow them up stairs, Happy right behind me with his hand on my lower back.

We walk into this room. First I see a sitting area then I see the Church table.

I stop and look at Jax as he walks to take his seat...... at the head. The rest take their seats. One I don't know, some I know but they are in different seats and some are not at the table, including the guy I need to see.

I snap out of my thoughts when Jax clears his throat, he gestures towards the end of the table where the guy I don't know is putting a chair. I politely smile at him then walk to sit down.

When I do I finally look at all their placements and patches.

Jax. President.

Chibs. V.President.

Tig no longer Sargent that's Happys place. I smile and laugh a little before looking at Jax, saying "Things have definitely changed"

Jax "We could say the same darlin"

I nod, gather my thoughts then say "Clay Owes Me"

Jax shifts in his seat as do Chibs and Tig. Happy just looks at Jax. Jax puts his hand on the table, playing with his rings, I'm assuming gathering his thoughts then he looks at me and says

"Clay was doing shit behind the clubs back. He got mayhem."

My heart drops. Not because Clay died but because I didn't know what I was going to do. I couldn't kill the guy myself I could go to prison then I couldn't protect her.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts. Seeing Happy kneeled infront of me, with his hands holding mine saying breath. I didn't even feel him turn my chair.

I realize I was breathing really fast so I get it under control and say "Then I should be going"

Happy's grip tightens a little and I see out the corner of my eye the guys look at each other

Jax "We still can help you"

I shake my head before saying "No. You guys don't owe me. He.... did"

I take a deep breath, pull my hands away from happy, putting them on the arm of the chair, about to get up but Jax says

"I remember when you told him he owed you" I don't move, debating on staying or going.

Tig "You wouldn't ask if it wasn't serious doll"

Jax "And your...."

"Daughter" for some reason I looked up at Happy when I said that. We look at each other then he goes back to his seat.

Jax "Your daughter didn't seem ok"

I sigh, put my hands in my lap and turn the chair back around

Chibs "Just tell us 'hat ya an tha lass need love"

I bite my lip debating when Happy says "He hurt you? Or her?"

I take a deep breath and start "His friend touched her, he left her with his friend, I didn't know..... till she told me this morning when we told him. Well I acted like I didn't know well technology I didn't know who and I didn't know he left her there but he got mad"

I look up at Happy then say "He just yelled" I look back at my hands and continue

"but he's never yelled at her or me and I was scared of what could happen so once he left for work I packed her backpack with some stuff packed my backpack and got in the car and came here"

Jax "Who's he darlin"

I look up at him and he continues "You said he left her with his friend who is he"

"My husband. Well soon to be ex I called my lawyer today told him I needed him to get me divorce papers. He hasn't called back"

Jax "You and your" he looks at Happy then me and continues "soon to be ex got the same lawyer?"

"No. I got this lawyer when found out I was married"

They all look at me confused as hell.

I chuckle and say "Would you believe me if I told you when I left here I ended up in Vegas, got drunk and got married"

No's came from Jax,Hap,Tig, and Chibs.

I chuckle and say "Well I did. Then ended up staying married because we was really hitting it off and he lived in Vegas, I wanted out of Charming but didn't have a place to go"

The guys all say "WHAT" But Happy's voice was the loudest

I nervously chuckle before saying "Yeah I ummmm kinda just went..... ya know.... ummm nomad."

Giving them a sweet smile Jax,Tig and Chibs chuckle while shaking their heads but Happy. Happy stares at me. Like into my soul.

Jax "So what were you gonna ask Clay exactly"

"To take out my ex's friend. He's a pediphiole. I want his dick cut off. Balls too." I look at happy and say "tortured"

Happy "Oh yes I will"

"But I knew if I did it I could go to prison and I'd never be able to save her behind bars" I say looking at my hands in my lap.

Happy "I got this"

I look at him then Jax and before I can say anything Jax says looking at Hap "We" then looking at me he says "got this"

"You guys don't owe me"

Jax,Chibs and Tig say "Your family" I laugh "I haven't been here for you guys. Family is there. I haven't been here in like 10 years"

Happy "Don't matter. Little girl" I look up at him "We got chu" I see the guys nod even the one I don't know. I bite my lip thinking

Jax "Its not up for discussion. You got his info"

I lean back in the chair looking at him and say "Yeah. Richard Johnson, 44, 5'10, Black, Male, Works at Academy.

Here's the problem. Which is why I was gonna use the 'You Owe Me'.... he lives in Vegas, about 30 minutes before Cali and an hour from the area I lived"

Happy and Tig say "Where you live now"

"We just left today. I'll figure it out" I say waving my hand brushing them off

Tig "Oh how I have missed you doll"

I laugh "Missed you to Mr. Doll" he winks.

Jax "Ok Rat you Write all that down"

I frown my eyebrows. Rat? I think in my head but Rat.... says "Yeah" and repeats it back to me, I confirm that is correct and tell them the address.

Jax "We can discuss the plan tomorrow" we all nod and head down stairs.

End Of Chapter 💙

[bobbyshaddoe80]

Liberated Audio Reviews

Introduction:

The cult Sci-Fi series Blake's 7 has seen great admiration and appreciation in the 40 plus years since its initial broadcast in the UK., continuing to enthrall audience old and new alike. Despite its rather low budget, it possessed some pretty impressive writing and acting from its rotating cast of characters. Despite it being yet another Terry Nation brainchild, the series would evolve beyond the initial proposal/concept of 'Robin Hood in Space' under the direction of Chris Boucher to become something more than just a Star Wars clone.

Over the years, the show's devoted fanbase have poured over the show's 52 episodes and have long clamored, demanded, begged and pleaded with the Powers That Be for some sort of continuation or revival... In spite of the show's rather unorthodox and controversial ending.

After numerous rumors and false starts, which even included a full on audio reboot/reimagining by B7 Media back in late 2007/early 2008, it would be Big Finish Productions that would take up the daunting task of reviving and expanding the Blake's 7 universe starting in February 2012 with the Liberator Chronicles and the Classic Audio Adventures in January 2014.

The Liberator Chronicles are essentially enhanced audiobooks often told in the first person by whichever character is chosen to be the focus of the story. Often they are supported by one or two other cast members in order to help keep things from falling completely into standard audiobook monotony. Before tackling the full cast audios, I shall endeavor to present my thoughts and views on all twelve volumes of the Liberator Chronicles.

Please bear in mind that these reviews are based on my own opinions and no one else's. While I shall endeavor to be as fair as possible, I am not claiming that my opinion is the only one that matters and you are free to agree or disagree with me as you see fit. Just try to keep it civil. So, without further ado, let's get started by examining volume one.

Blake's 7 - The Liberator Chronicles Vol. 1

RELEASED FEBRUARY 2012

Recorded on: 23 September, 11 and 14 October 2011

Recorded at: Moat Studios

Review By Robert L. Torres

The Turing Test by Simon Guerrier

'After evading an attack by Cassini Pirates, the Liberator heads to the rogue moon of Quentil, where Avon and Vila infiltrate a top secret Federation science facility. 

Vila assumes the guise of Dr. Yarding Gill, an expert in digital memory. And Avon is his "creation" - a super-advanced android that could pass for human. In fact, he does...

Can they maintain the ruse long enough to complete their mission? And will the Cassini Pirates catch up with them?'

Chronological Placement:

Series A - set after the events of LC Vol. 7's Disorder, between episodes Mission To Destiny and Duel.

This is a very well written story starring the late Paul Darrow as Kerr Avon, ably supported by Michael Keating as Vila Restal.

I love how the story is structured with Avon recounting these events AFTER the fact, like he was recording then for posterity into a dictaphone. I loved that Guerrier's writing didn't fall into the trap of having Avon try to do other voices or say 'said Blake', 'said Jenna' and so on. Nothing felt disruptive to the narrative and having Vila around never felt intrusive.

Kudos to Michael Keating for slipping back into the role of Vila Restal with relative ease. He will be quite reliable in a support capacity during many of these audios, and even get a chance at the spotlight... Which we will examine in due course. Right now, he lends his exceptional charm in this undercover mission posing as the scientist responsible for "creating" Avon.

Still, this story belongs to Paul Darrow, and he does a great job. It was a great story about what it means to be alive, what it means to be human and even serving as an examination of Avon himself. It was a nice inverse of the usual sort of questions regarding machine life wishing to be more human. Here we have a human considering himself to be more machine than man.

That is the interesting thing about Avon. Most scifi programs that deal with space travel tend to have an archetypical character known as the 'royal smart person'. For Star Trek TOS it was Spock, for Star Trek TNG it was Data, for DS9 it was Dax (and to a certain extent Bashir), for Voyager it was Seven of Nine, for Enterprise it was... Who the hell knows since everyone on that show was an idiot. As for Discovery... I honestly don't know cuz I haven't watched Discovery yet, but that's beside the point.

Avon is exceptional in his characterization only in that his desire to focus on pure logic and suppress his emotions does not come without its own drawbacks. Despite his intellect and skill with computers, he is someone that is also socially and emotionally cut off from others due to an inability to trust. He is also someone that sees the futility in giving over to emotional and irrational hysterics in order to showcase that he cares. Avon's intelligence also comes with a certain amount of ego, as he knows that he is smarter than many of his contemporaries, and much of the logic he embraces stems from a certain degree of self-serving self-interest.

His desire to assist in the situation with the AI android 14 stems from having an affinity with another creature of pure logic, and not wanting such a creature to be exploited and corrupted to further the aims and agendas of the Federation. This story is a great reminder of why Avon is a great antihero, as he is still willing to do the right thing in spite of himself.

Final Score: 8 out of 10 Plasma Bolts

Solitary by Nigel Fairs

‘Vila is in solitary confinement. His friends have abandoned him, his only contact with the world outside is Nyrron, a scientist from the planet Auron.

Amnesiac and confused, Vila attempts to piece together recent events... A mission to Dulcimer 4. An important meeting. And a visit to the jungle world of Terrulis Major.

In the depths of the foliage, the truth is waiting. And it's more terrifying than Vila could possible have imagined...’

Chronological Placement:

Series B - between episodes Redemption and Shadow.

I really do not have much to say about this story as it is profoundly unremarkable and is a major clunker in terms of execution of its concept, as well as the first person narration.

It has some interesting ideas, there is a central mystery that is interesting, with Vila finding himself in solitary confinement and abandoned by his friends, and we are introduced to a semi recurring guest character in the form of Auron scientist Gustav Nyrron, played by Anthony Howell ('Dr. David Keel' of the The Avengers: Lost Episodes range). 

Nyrron himself is an interesting character as an ally for Blake and the Resistance, which begs the question why Cally wasn’t involved in this story as well.  Because for an Auron scientist, he actually spends most of the time acting like either a reasonable interrogator or a benevolent psychiatrist for the imprisoned Vila. 

The whole story itself is not executed terribly well.  The Vila character spends a good chunk of the first few moments talking to himself, and then when Nyrron comes into the narrative, Vila spends the rest of the runtime being asked if he remembers certain events, and then goes on to basically recount events that lead up to meeting Nyrron and then goes on to tell Nyrron things that he already knows about. 

As a Vila centric story, its also not terribly good, not even with certain unexpected revelations made. This story does Vila no favors and we don't learn much about Nyrron either.  Fortunately, those are issues that would end up being rectified in later stories.  Definitely give this one a miss.

Final Score: 4 out of 10 Plasma Bolts

Counterfeit by Peter Anghelides

‘The Bovee Mining Facility: A Federation slave camp worked by disgraced scientists.

The planet shouldn't be of interest but it is: Avon's investigations reveal that it's rich in Illusium, a mineral that can change from one substance to another. With it, the Federation could be invulnerable...

Blake teleports down to Bovee, but gets more than he bargained for. There's another visitor to the facility - and his presence changes the whole game...’

Chronological Placement:

Series A - set after the events of LC Vol. 1's The Turing Test, between episodes Mission To Destiny and Duel.

This is not a bad Blake focus story, with added support from Avon. However, what we get is a pretty standard adventure with Blake hoping to obtain certain materials and destroy the means of that material being reproduced in another effort to cripple the Federation's power. We even get in an appearance by Travis, Blake's personal nemesis, to lure him into a trap.

There isn't a whole lot to say about the story because of how standard and basic it all is. The fact that the story is done on audio does play in well into certain revelations and surprise twists made within the narrative. Many of which I will not speak on as it goes into spoiler territory. Other than that, the story itself is not bad, it is definitely worth a once-over. Its just unfortunate that it is also pretty average and fairly unremarkable.

Final Score: 5 out of 10 Plasma Bolts

Final score for Volume One of The Liberator Chronicles in its entirety is 6 out of 10 Plasma Bolts.

It isn't the best start to the Blake's 7 audio range as it really only has one story out of three to recommend it. Its great to hear the original actors back again, and thankfully they will be served better stories in the volumes to follow.

Special thanks to Craig Brawley of the Big Finish Listeners Facebook Group for his tireless efforts in mapping out the chronology of the audios and determining how they fit in with the established TV continuity.

[droneseco]

Can the Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K 3D Printer Deliver on Bigger, Ambitious Builds?

Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K

9.50 / 10

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The Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K offers a user-friendly, large format resin 3D printer for the masses that delivers on quality and speed. It comes with some budget concessions to keep it competitively priced; this won't appeal to all users. But if you're ready for bigger, high-resolution prints and can commit to the price point then it's a great printer for all skill levels.

Key Features

4K Print Resolution

Printing Area of 9.3"

22 cm Z-axis

Specifications

Brand : Phrozen

XY Resolution: 52µm / 4K (3840 x 2160 px)

Build area: L20 x W12.5 x H22 cm

Light Source: 405nm ParaLED Matrix 2.0

Layer Thickness: 0.01-0.30mm

Printer Size: L8.56 x W8.56 x H17.32 inches (L28 x W28 x H44 cm)

Pros

Impression resolution for large prints (52µm)

9.3" 4K Monochrome LCD build plate

Large build plate

User-friendly for all skill levels

Customization options

Cons

No network connectivity (only USB)

Small touch panel (2.8"), the same as Sonic Mini 4K

Plastic resin vat won't appeal to everyone

8.66" short Z-axis

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Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K other

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The Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K's name invokes a sense of grandeur; it does so for good reason. The Sonic Mighty 4K delivers large, high-resolution prints at speed, with its 9.3" monochrome LCD. If you're already impressed with the quality of resin printing but want to go larger, let's look at why the Mighty is great at realizing those ambitions.

Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K Design

It's an oversimplification to think of the Mighty 4K as a larger-sized version of the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K. However, the Mighty 4K does follow the design aesthetic and layout.

For starters, the Sonic Mighty 4K shares the same 2.8" touch panel as the Mini 4K on the front of the unit. Given the increased printer size, it could easily house more; the touch panel still works responsively. This is the first notable cost-cutting decision by Phrozen that balances out its other offerings.

As found on the Mini 4K, the Sonic Mighty 4K utilizes only a USB-A port on its side panel. With resin printers, USB connectivity is the reliable standard, so this one doesn't come as a surprise. However, those after networking compatibility will need to look elsewhere.

On the very back panel, the Mighty 4K houses its power button and fan. While it takes a bit more reach to power on/off the device, the placement of the touch panel and USB already guides your hand in that direction.

Overall, veterans of the Mini 4K will feel right at home using the Mighty 4K. For new users, Phrozen's simple layout makes it easy to use out of the box.

Sonic Mighty 4K Technical Specifications

To achieve those epic high-resolution prints, Phrozen makes good use of its technology while offering a size-up to crucial aspects of the machine.

The Sonic Mighty 4K utilizes the same 405nm ParaLED Matrix 2.0 light source of the Sonic Mini 4K. However, it comes with an unrivaled 9.3" monochrome LCD ready to deliver on its 3840 x 2160 pixels. Together the two can print and cure layers remarkably fast.

The Mighty 4K, however, comes in at 52µm resolution. While a technical downside, it isn't much of a departure from the 50µm of the Mighty's other large-format rivals. So while it's a quality difference, it's not plainly distinguishable to the eye.

From a size perspective, the Mighty 4K also boasts an impressive 7.87 x 4.92 x 8.66 inches build volume. While the X and Y-axis size puts it a notch above its rivals, its Z-axis isn't as ample

So while the Mighty 4K loses a little height, it isn't the end-all for the device. Due to the nature of weight distribution on the build plate and how larger models can benefit from angling, the extra 9.3" print area seems even more valuable. However, the 8.66-inch Z-axis is plenty of height to experiment with.

Setting Up the Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K

Before starting with the Mighty 4K, you'll want to perform both the LCD test and the Z-calibration. With both tests, Phrozen does a good job of providing on-screen prompts to guide you along your way. The Z-calibration is especially important since if done improperly it can lead to many failed prints.

For those unfamiliar, you'll remove the vat (secured by two thumbscrews), loosen the four hex bolts, and place a piece of paper upon the LCD screen. Afterward, you can power on the Mighty 4K to use the Z-calibration option under tools. The build plate will descend, and you'll wait until the on-screen directions tell you to tighten the hex bolts anew.

If the paper remains tight on all sides, then you'll have succeeded. If not, it can help to only lightly loosen the bolts and tighten them in a cross-directional pattern while pressing down firmly on the build plate. Another pair of hands can help immensely.

In some cases, you'll need to repeat the process more than once since there's a certain degree of feel to the process. The handles above the four hex bolts can obstruct as well.

Slicer Software and Settings

When it comes to exporting your models for printing, the Mighty 4K doesn't deviate much from the norm. It works well with ChiTuBox software, and Phrozen also provides a copy of the software on the included USB drive. You can load the Mighty 4K and all of its supported resin profiles, so you can tweak your settings before slicing and printing.

For those that aren't a fan of the ChiTuBox software, Lychee Slicer also works as a viable alternative for your files. Overall, the basic process remains the same for either slicer. Load in a model, set up its placement, and check supports and/or rafts (whether adding manually or using a presupported model) to make sure it prints safely in full.

Afterward, you'll slice, save your file, and move it to your USB for printing. While this largely summarizes the process, it's important to note the emphasis on different settings. The defaults for the Mighty 4K work well for much smaller to medium prints; you'll want to tweak those as you begin to work larger.

Familiarizing yourself with the setting terminology is an essential part of learning resin printing, and some less talked about settings such as lift distance become more crucial when dealing with larger prints.

The Sonic Mighty 4K Vat and Printing Process

Another budget decision with the Mighty 4K was the choice of a plastic resin vat. While Phrozen offers an aluminum resin vat for the Mighty 4K, it's a separate purchase entirely. With plastic vats, longevity is a concern and durability, but it can prove difficult to test these in a standard review period.

However, I can note that I experienced no actual issues with the plastic vat while testing. During my initial prints, I tested the pour spout, cleaned it thoroughly each time, and placed it on and off the Mighty 4K several times.

As a measure to keep the Phrozen competitively priced against other large resin printers, I didn't feel like it detracted from the functionality. However, I do appreciate that the option to upgrade the vat to an aluminum one exists.

With the Phrozen OS, it's very easy to select your sliced files, start a print, and come back hours later to see the results. To test this process, I tried an assortment of different model sizes from Bestiarum Miniatures.

As Bestiarum Miniatures already uses Phrozen products and offers highly detailed presupported models, they worked great with the 4K aqua grey resin that Phrozen sent for testing. If you'd like to try printing any of their models, you can check out their Patreon or their MyMiniFactory.

During the printing process, I kept the room well-ventilated. The aqua grey 4K resin does only produce a low odor, but you'll still want to use gloves and be wary of any fumes.

Once finished, the large build-plate and handles do make it very easy to transfer your prints for post-processing. Adhesion was never a real issue despite the included sandpaper that came with the printer. However, you'll want to make sure you're getting a proper exposure time for all layers.

Is The Sonic Mighty 4K Best for Budget-Friendly Prints?

With the Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K there's a fine balance between competitive pricing and budget pricing with the printer. With larger format printers, shipping costs, tariffs, and availability are constant considerations for the consumer. And Phrozen does a good job at trying to slash its costs without cutting quality.

While I wouldn't recommend the Mighty 4K to an absolute beginner due to its price point, it's great for those looking to upgrade. If you're really after large-scale ambitious builds, the Mighty 4K comes at an enticing price for what it offers.

Repairs and Customization for the Mighty 4K

Since 3D printers ultimately have consumable parts, it's important to know when and what needs to be replaced. While Phrozen does have a section for parts on its official store, not all parts for the Might 4K are available yet.

The first replacement you'll need is a new FEP film, typically after around 50 prints. A new one costs around $20m and can usually be purchased from a more local retailer instead.

The LCD screen is rated for 2000 hours. So if your prints take 10 hours on average, this will need to be replaced after 200 prints, though in reality it will likely last longer. We expect a replacement screen of this size and resolution to cost around $300.

Compared to other technology where it's less certain if you can exchange a part when the time comes, this shouldn't be an issue with the Mighty 4K. If you're having difficulty, Phrozen also offers detailed instructions for most questions and also stays active on all of their social platforms.

Should You Buy The Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K?

If you're looking to size-up and steadily produce bigger prints, the Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K will reward the ambitious. For those on a time crunch, you can also utilize the build plate and impressive print times to bulk print faster.

Its price point and some design decisions may not make it for everyone. For many, however, it's a great 3D printer to add to your collection.

Can the Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K 3D Printer Deliver on Bigger, Ambitious Builds? published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

[ramialkarmi]

This guy took a Facebook project people hated, made them love it ... and catapulted into an incredible career

Remember back in 2012, when Facebook stunned the world by spending $1 billion to buy the 13-person startup Instagram?

The purchase seems almost quaint now, when the Valley is overrun with billion-dollar startups, but it blew the minds of Silicon Valley at the time.

It was also the turning point in the career for one early Facebook employee, Pete Hunt.

Today Hunt is the cofounding CEO of a security startup called Smyte.

But he is better known as one of the fathers of a Facebook-born technology for programmers called React. React is one of the most popular open source projects Facebook has ever released and it turned Hunt into a star in the web development world.

All thanks to Instagram. And while his startup isn't based on React, its early success is a direct result of how he turned React's initial haters into fans.

The Facebook drone

Back in the summer of 2012, Hunt became known inside of Facebook for working on its photo and video features. He and his team had spent the previous year thinking of Instagram as the enemy. 

Then Instagram was suddenly a massive and controversial part of Facebook and Hunt was assigned to bring Instagram into the Facebook fold.

"I was the first engineer to go over from Facebook to Instagram. I was the corporate drone," Smyte tells Business Insider. "They were super nice. But it definitely was like I was the first external person dropped into their tight-knit team."

Hunt was tasked with building Instagram's first website. 

The first step was bringing it into Facebook's "trust and safety" systems — the tools that protect users from bullies, and fraud, as well as watching for evidence of hate speech or crimes.

The second step was to solve a serious technical problem. The company's database was struggling under the load of all those photos, so to build a website that could grow as Instagram grew, he couldn't just add more computer servers. He was going to have to build the app using JavaScript, which makes the PC do most of the work of rendering the photos, not the servers.

He started exploring the best ways to do that and came across another Facebook employee, Jordan Walke, who had been working on a "cool" side project to do this, Hunt describes.

It wasn't a polished tool but he bet Instagram's website on it anyway. This became React. Hunt was hooked on React and kept adding features and improvements. Word about React grew at Facebook.

"More and more products inside Facebook had this same set of problems and wanted to use this technology. This includes mobile search and ad placement," he says. 

By 2013, React had become really popular inside of Facebook and Hunt was known as one of its gurus. The React team decided to share their creation — free and open source  — with the world at a big Javascript developers conference.

"By this time, this technology had been through the ringer. We knew it was awesome and everyone was super excited about announcing it," he said.

But when they showed it off, people hated it.

Chasing down the haters

While the team was on stage demonstrating React, the reaction was merciless, Hunt recalls.

"Everyone was being super mean on Twitter and Hacker News," he says.

That's because React involved a new way to organize a web project that involved mixing and matching code written in different formats, something that was always considered to be a major, sloppy no-no. And the team was skewered for it.

It was demoralizing.

Hunt, who knew how React was helping Facebook, wasn't having it.

So he created a talk that addressed all of the criticisms and hit the road giving that talk at other Javascript conferences.

He also took on the haters directly on Twitter and Hacker News.

"I read every comment and replied to every one," he said.

After a while, other people started replying as well, and posting the YouTube link to his talks.

React took off. And he became a very popular speaker.

"I was flying around the world to different countries every month giving talks. I was flying business class, the conferences were paying for me to come. I felt like a rockstar," he said.

Until one night, when he was at a conference party in Barcelona at 4 a.m. and he looked around at his adoring fans and realized "It was me and a bunch of nerds. And I was like, 'well, I sort of made it.'"

He knew he wanted to do something bigger. The startup bug had bit.

Meeting a cofounder at a toga party

He decided his startup would not be based on React but on trust and safety, the first thing Instagram had had to figure out.

"There’s a trail of dead companies because they couldn’t do trust and safety. Yik Yak, Secret, and Twitter is struggling with this too, the abuse problem," he said.

His success with React and Instagram "was enough for me to have courage to leave Facebook. But I didn't think I was the guy to build it. I needed a cofounder to help me. But even as a so-called celebrity rockstar, I couldn’t get anyone to quit their job and join me," he said.

He knew the cofounder he wanted, too: Julian Tempelsman. He had met him on the stairs of his apartment wearing a Toga when they all attended a party in his apartment building. It turned out Tempelsman was working on similar security systems at Google and they spent that evening talking about a potential startup.

But Tempelsman didn't want to leave Google. After almost a year of pestering, Hunt told him, "I’ll quit my job and we’ll do the fund raise and if it doesn’t happen, you don't need to quit your job. If it does, you can still come in as an equal partner" he said.

He met his other cofounder, Josh Yudaken, at Instagram. Yudaken was itching to go out on his own, got curious and when Hunt quit Facebook, he jumped in.

It didn't take long for Tempelsman to join, too. And it didn't take long to find some seed money.

"The seed founder was a friend of a friend of a Google cofounder. I had lunch with him and he wrote a check," he said.

Smyte got accepted into the startup factory known as YCombinator and quickly raised another $2.25 million from a number of backers including Instagram VC Steve Anderson at Baseline. It just raised another $4 million A round last month.

He still contributes to React. And it turns out that his fame in that world, and the way he chased down the haters is helping Smyte win business.

"My classic move to get into companies [for a sales meeting] is I see question on Stack Overflow," he says, referring to the website where developers ask each other questions. "I tell them, 'I’m happy to go in and give your guys a tech talk on React, and since I'm doing you a favor, can I meet with your team for 20 minutes? It gets me in the door." 

While the startup isn't profitable yet the tactic is working. "We have over tripled our revenue in the past 6 months. We have dozens of customers, and around 100 million monthly active users and monitor tens of thousands of events per second," Hunt said.

Smyte formally launched its product in 2015 and has landed such customers as Indiegogo, GoFundMe, Quora, Medium, Meetup, Task Rabbit and others.

SEE ALSO: How Cisco bought a $900 million startup for just $610 million

SEE ALSO: The founders of a $1.3 billion startup raised $250 million while keeping over 50% of the company for themselves

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